Wire tying machine and method



Aug. 21, 1934. I. H. SPOOR WIRE TYING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Aug. 29, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 21, 1934. H. SPOOR 1,971,021

1 WIRE vTYING MACHINE AND METHdD Filed Au 29, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Aug. 21, 1934. sPooR v WIRE TYING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Aug. 29, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet .5

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 1,971,021

*umrso STATES PAT T OFFICE 1,971,021 WIRE TYING MACHINE AND METHOD Ivan H. Spoor, Berwyn, IlL, assignmto The Gerrard Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a mum-- ration of Delaware m Application August 29, 1929, Serial No. 389,115

12 Claims. (01. 140-93) This invention has to do with wire tying mawithin the contemplated scope .of the appended chines of the type with which a wire looped about claims. an object or group-of objects maybe tensioned In the accompanying drawings: and twisted and the surplus ends of the wire then Fig. 1 is a top view of the machine;

cut ofi. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same;

One object of the invention is to provide, in a Fig. 3 is a righ end View; machine of the type described, an improved ar- Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken either on the rangement of the tensioning mechanism which line 4--4 of Fig- 1 01 the line of permits coil wire to be used with a minimum Fig;5isasection corresponding to Fig. 4, showin amount of waste and leaves thecut end of the ing the position assum d y th cutti s m awire leading to the coil in good condition ready Ilism atthe completion of the Cutting Operation; for the next tying operation. Fig. 6 is a vertical section, .taken on either the Another object is to provide an improved conline 6-6 of Fig. 1 or t e i 6- of struction within the winding head of the tension- Fig. 7 is a vertical section, taken on either the 15 ing mechanism which prevents the end or the ne 7-7 ofFig- 1 Or the l e '7 o wire inserted therein from slipping out. Fig. 8 is a vertical section, taken on the line Still another object is to provide an improved 8- Of Fig- 1; I a gripper which engages the wire automatically, Fig. 9 is a horizontal section, taken on the line holds the wire firmly, and. may be adjusted a num- 9-9 of Fig. 20 her of times to present difierent gripping surfaces Fig. 10 is a. perspective view of the wire-engagas the surface last used becomes worn. ing element forming a part of the gripper at the Still another object is to provide an improved right side of the machine; and organization of the tensioning mechanism which 11 is a top View Of the tie which the permits both the winding head and the gripper chine produces. 25 to be readily assembled and attached as complete The wire tying machine shown in the drawings units. a is adapted to be used in tying round wire about Still another object is to provide an improved such objects as boxes, crates, bales, stacks, bunarrangement. in which the detachable brackets dles, and the like. It may be used either with carrying the winding head and the gripper also wire cut to length or with wire in coil form. In 30 serve to hold the guides and the cutters against preparing to operate the machine, when using removal. wire in coil form, the machine is placed on the Still another object is to provide an improved box or other object and the end of the wire from cutting mpechanism in which the knives are the coil is inserted in any one of several radially double ended and are readily reversible end for extendings'lots 10 in the periphery of a winding 35 end with respectto the knife carriers. head 11 located at the left side of the machine Still another object is to provide an improved (See Fig. 1)..- The head 11 is then rotated a little organization of parts in the cutting mechanism by means of a handle 12 inorder to bend the wire whereby the cutters are actuated through adjustslightly about the head whereby to efiect a preably positioned pins which permit the cutting opliminary gripping engagement, and the portion of a 40 eration to take place at difierent times with rethe wire leading back to the coil on the right is spect to the completion of the twisting operation. then pushed rearwardly into aligned slots 13, 14 A further object of the invention is to provide and 15 which are formed respectively in a guide an improvedinethqd of tying objects with wire member 16, atwisting pinion'l'l and another guide taken from a coil. member 18 (see Fig. 2). The guide members 16 45 Other objects and advantages of the invention and 18, with the slots 13 and 15 therein, constiwill be apparent to those skilled in the art upon .tute forked yokes. Upon leaving the slot' 15 in a full understanding of the improved constructhe guide member 18, the wire is passed to the, tion, arrangement and operation of various parts right beneath a thin lip 19, looped downwardly or the machine. in a clockwise direction about the box, pushed 5 A wire tying machine which incorporates in one rearwardly into the slots 13, 14 and 15 into lapped form or another all or the features of the invenparallel relation with the portion of the wire altion, is presented herein for the purpose of exemready occupying the rearmost portions or such plification, but it will of course be understood that slots, and then pushed rearwardly over the lip 19 the invention is susceptible of embodiment in beneath a beveled nose 20, which nose is thereby 55 other structurally modified forms coming equally caused to ride upwardly, carrying with 1:; a m

cular peripherally serrated gripping disk which, with the nose 20, is pivotally mounted at 22. As.soon as the wire has been pushed far enough rearwardlyon the lip 19 to clear the rear edge of the nose 20, the disk 21 springs downwardly again into firm gripping engagement with the wire under the action of a spring 23.

The first operation of the machine, after the wire has been arranged in the manner above described, is the tensioning of the wire, which is accomplishedby rotating the head 11 in a clock- -wise direction with the hand lever 12. The next operation is the twisting together of the lapped parallel portions of the wire in the slots 13, 14 and 15, which is accomplished by rotating the pinion 17 with another hand lever 24' (see Fig. 7). The next and last operation is the cutting off of the surplus wire at opposite ends of the tie, which is accomplished by moving two knives 25 and 26 with a shearing action across the outer side faces of the guide members 16 and 18 with the hand lever 24 (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6).

The slots 13, 14 and 15, in which the lapped parallel portions of the wire are positioned during the tensioning, twisting and cutting operations, are of ample depth to accommodate the lapped portions of the wire but are not wide enough to permit such portions to pass about each other,

with the result that, when the pinion 17 is turned,

the portions of the wire positioned in the slot 14 in the pinion are caused to turn relative to the portions held in the slots 13 and 15, thereby producing a strong double twist.

The frame of the machine consists of a relatively thin flat laterally elongated base plate 27. The twisting and cutting mechanisms are mounted directly on the base, while the tensioning mechanism, which may be considered as including both the winding head 11 at the left side of the machine and the gripping disk 21 at the right side, is mounted indirectly thereon '(see Fig. 1), the head 11 being journaled on an L-shaped bracket 28 which is positioned on the base by dowel pins 29 and is held down against the same by machine screws 30, and the gripping disk 21 being pivoted .to another L-shaped bracket 31 which is rigidly secured to the base in the same readily detachable manner as the bracket 28.

The slotted periphery of the head 11 is centrally grooved (see Fig. 1) to cause the wire in being wound about the head to center itself with respect thereto, and the axis of the head is positioned horizontally in rearwardly converging relation to the median plane of the twisting pinion 17, whereby to urge the parallel lapped portions of the wire .rearwardly in the slots 13, 14 and 15 during the tensioning operation and thereby insure correct positioning of such wire portions during the subsequently performed twisting and cutting operations. The head 11 is journaled on the shank of a headed bolt 32 (see Fig. 9) which is carried by the bracket 28. A ratchet 33- is also journaled on the bolt 32 behind the head 11 and is connected with the head by dowel pins 34. The hand lever 12 used in rotating the head is pivotally mounted on the bolt 32 behind the ratchet 33 and carries a pivotally mounted downwardly spring-pressed pawl 35 (see Fig. 8) which engages with the teeth of the ratchet when the handle 12 is swung toward the right, thereby causing the ratchet 33 and the head 11 to turn in a clockwise direction. The ratchet and the head are prevented from turning backwardly in an anti-clockwise direction by means of an upwardly spring-pressed plunger 36 ing 39 of which the beveled nose 20 forms one part.

The stamping 39 has a rearwardly bent ear 40 under which the spring 23 is compressed and has another rearwardly bent ear 41 which extends into any one of four eccentrically formed holes 42 in the disk 21. A machine screw 43 which constitutes the pivot for the interlocked disk and stamping at the point 22, extends through an aperture in the stamping 39 into one of the holes adjoining the hole in which the locking ear 41 is positioned.

The nose of the stamping 39 preferably extends to about the center of-the disk 21, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby blanking off approximately one-half the width of the gripping edge of th latter. By removing the screw 43, the stamp g may be separated from the disk and re-asse bled again therewith in any one of four positi ns against either one side or the other of the same, with the result that any one of eight different adjustments of the disk, presenting as many diiferent edge sections tov the wire, is possible. When the serrations at the rear side of the lowermost portion of the disk become worn, fresh serrations may be presented at that location by merely making an adjustment in the manner above described. A finger piece 44 is formed on the bracket 31 behind and to the right of the gripper for affording a purchase for the hand of the operator in pushing the wire rearwardly beneath the beveled nose 20 of the gripper.

The twisting pinion 17, which is positioned at the center of the front of the machine, is provided with hollow trunnions 45 and 46 which are journaled in the rearmost portion of a recess which is formed between the base proper and a vertically spaced overhanging portion 47 thereof. The pinion is held against endwise movement by the side walls of a slot 48 which is formed in the overhanging portion of the base, and the trunnions 45 and 46 turn freely in bushings 49 and 50 which line the recess from the sides of the pinion to the guide members 16 and 18. The pinion meshes with a gear 51 which is keyed at 52 to a shaft 53, and the shaft 53 is journaled in two spaced ears 54 and 55 which extend upwardly from the base as integral portions thereof. The hand lever 24, which is used to rotate the pinion 17, is provided with bifurcated inner end portions 56 and 57 (see Fig. 1) which are journaled on the shaft 53 between the gear 51 and the supporting ears 54 and 55. Adjacent the periphery of the gear 51, the bifurcated portions of the hand lever are provided with spring-pressed plungers 58 and 59 which bear against the side faces of the gear and are adapted toride into recesses 60 formed at diametrically opposite points on the gear. The gear 51 is consequently rotated one-half of a revolution every time that the hand lever 24 is swung forwardly a full stroke through an angle of 180.

In forming the particular tie shown in Fig. 11, three complete turns of the twisting pinion 17 are required, which turns are accomplished by two full strokes of the hand lever 24, the gear ratio being three'to one. While the hand lever 24 is being swung back from its foremost position to its rearmost position, the gear 51, together with the twisting pinion 1'7, is prevented from turning inadvertently in either direction by means of a 5 spring-pressed indexing plunger 61 which is dill mounted in the base 2'1 and is adapted to ride into shallow recesses 62 formed at diametrically opposed points in one of the side faces of the gear 51.

The knives 25 and 26, which serve to cut the surplus wire from the tie, are mounted on the front edges of two carriers 63 and 64 (see Figs. 2, 4 and 6), which carriers are pivoted on pins 65 which extend through the guide members 16 and 18 into the base. The carriers are held against the guide members by laterally abutting surfaces on the brackets 28 and 31 and are normally maintained in raised inoperative positions by means of coil springs 66 beneath the lower edges of the same. The carriers are provided with headed pins 6'7 which are screwed into' the carriers and project rearwardly from the upper portions thereof, being secured in any desired position of adjustment by means 'of lock nuts 68. The heads of the pins 67 are adapted to be engaged and forced forwardly by the action of pins 69 which are mounted eccentrically in collars '70 keyed to the ends of the shaft 53 beyond the ears 54 and 55. Upon each complete revolution of the shaft 53 resulting from two forward strokes of the hand lever 24, the knife carriers swing forwardly. The knives 25 and 26 are positioned on the carriers by dowel pins 71 and are fastened in place by screws '72. The knives are provided with cutting edges at both ends, and may be easily reversed to present a fresh cutting edge when the holding screws are removed. The knives are of different shapesthe knives 25 having a narrow cutting edge so as to out only the portion of the wire which is in the back of the slot 13 in the guide member 16 (see Fig. 6), and the knife 26 having a relatively wide cutting edge and being forwardly spaced with respect to the front edge of the carrier 64 by the formation of a notch 73 in the carrier adjacent Edi the bottom of the knife (see Fig. l) which notch serves to receive the portion, of the wire in the back of the slot 15 in the guide 18 whereby to allow the knife to cut only the foremost portion extending to the gripper.

A noteworthy feature in the operation of the machine is the unique method of tying with wire taken from a coil positioned alongside the machine, without the usual waste oi wire, and with out the necessity of clipping the free end of the wire prior to the tying operation in order to pre-= sent a satisfactory endior insertion in the machine. At the completion of each tying operation,

the free end of the coil will be found under the iii) gripper in a straight condition unafiected by the tying operation except for the presence of cross markings imprinted thereon near the end by the serrations on the surface of the gripper. The end of the wire under the gripper, when'pulled to the right, will be released by the gripper and may be immediately inserted in one of the slots in the winding head in preparation for the next tying operation. It is not necessary to clip oil the wire to form a new end thereon, since the end taken from the gripper is not bent at all by reason of its engagement with the same and the cross markings on the end are sufficiently close to the extremity to be on the subsequently cut off portion of the wire bent about the head in the course of the tensioning operation.

I claim: I

1. In a machine for tying objects with wire taken directly from a coil, the combination, with a twisting mechanism, of a tensioning mechanism consisting of a movable device at the left side of the twisting mechanism to which the free end of the wire from the coil is adapted to be attached; a stationary device at the right side of the twisting mechanism to which a portion .of the wire leadim back to the coil is adapted to be attached and held stationary after the wire has been looped about the object in'acl0ckwise direction, and means for actuating the movable device to place the looped portion of the wire under tension. I

2. In a wire tying machine, an eccentrically pivoted circular disk having a serrated periphery for gripping engagement with the wire, means for pressing the disk in one direction about its pivotal axis whereby to grip the wire, and means for changing the location of the pivotal axis of the disk with respect to some particular'portion of the'serrated periphery without disturbing the eccentricitywhereby to present differentportions of the serrated periphery to the wire.

3. In a wire tying machine, a peripherally serrated gripping disk having a plur lity of apertures therein, a holder for the dis having a portion which is adapted to'interloc with the disk in any one of the apertures, a pin positioned eccentrically with respect to the disk for pivotally mounting the disk and the holder as a unit in any one of the difierent interlocked positions pos-= sible by reason of the multiplicity of apertures, and a spring acting against the holder to swing the disk about its pivotal axis into gripping enegagement with a wire.

a. In a wire tying machine, a centrally recessed tensioning head having a radially and axially opening slot in which the end of the wire to bewound about the'head is adapted to be inserted, and a member which is positioned in the re cessed portion of the head and is provided with a flange for lateral abutment with the end of the wire in the slot.

5. In a wire tying machine, a substantially flat laterally elongated base plate, a twisting 312d) mechanism mounted on the plate intermediate the sides thereof, a pair of stationary brackets lilil) deta;chably secured to the plate in. rigid associa with the brackets.

6. In a wire tying machine, a substantially flat laterally elongated base, a twisting mechanism mounted on the base intermediate the sides there of, a pair of cutters pivotally mounted on the base at opposite sides of the twisting mechanism, a pair of brackets detachably secured to the base beyond the cutters in lateral abutment therewith for holding the cutters in position, and wire gripping and tensiopin'g means mounted on said brackets and removable as units therewith.

7. In a wire tying machine, a forwardly pro= jecting lip over which a portion of a wire to be gripped is adapted to be moved rearwardly, a pivoted dog above the rear portion of the lip for gripping the wire, and a forwardly projecting nose associated with the dog above the lip in rearwardly converging relation to the latter for automatically lifting the dog into a position to grip the wire when the latter is moved rearwardly on the lip.

8. In a. wire tying machine, a pivotally mounted cutter, a rotatable member having an ec- 150 Mill centric portion, a headed pin adjustably carried by the cutter for engagement with the eccentric portion of the rotatable member whereby to oscillate the cutter to any desired extent upon rotation of the member, and means for rotating the member through a complete revolution during each tying operation of the machine.

9. In a wire tying machine, a slotted wireholding yoke, a knife carrier pivotally mounted against one side of the yoke, and a double-ended reversible knife detaohably secured to the carrier for shearing coaction with the edge of the yoke at the location of the slot.

10. The method of tying objects with wire taken from a coil, which consists in withdrawing from the coil enough of the wire to form a loose loop about the object, forming such a loop without cutting the wire portion leading back to the coil, securing the free end of the wire in a movable tensioning device which in operation will deform a portion of the wire adjacent such end, securing theportion oi the wire which leads back from the loop to the coil in a stationary holding device which will not deform the wire, moving the tensioning device to draw the wire tight about the object, twisting the overlapped wire portions together between the tensioning and holding devices, and cutting the wire free from the tensioning and holding devices between the latter and the twisted section, whereby to leave the coil with a newly cut undeformed end ready for use without straightening or trimming in the next tying operation.

11. In a wire tying machine, a tensioning head having a laterally and outwardly opening slot in which the end of the wire to be wound about the head is adapted to be inserted, and means within the head adjacent the center of the same for engagement with the tip only of the wire to prevent the wire i'rom slipping laterally out of the slot.

12. In a wire tying machine, a wire gripping member having a plurality of optionally usable edge sections for gripping engagement with the wire, a pivot on which the member is eccentrical- 1y mounted, means for pressing the member in one direction about its pivotal axis whereby to cause one of the edge sections to grip the wire,

and means for permitting the position of the member to be reversed on its pivot whereby to present a different edge section to the wire.

IVAN H. SPQOR. 

